Different
by Rethira
Summary: Genesis has always been different. ONESHOT. AR.


Enjoy the angsty Genesis.

Warning: angst, some mentions of sex, maybe some language, Genesis being the romantic that he is and a teeny tiny mention of child abuse. THIS IS AR(alternate reality). I couldn't fit it into canon (plus there was something I'd always wanted to do involving Cloud and Rufus that so isn't canon...)

Disclaimer: I do not own the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII or any characters therein.

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For as long as Genesis could remember he'd been the odd one out. In Banora, he'd been the oldest boy, but he never looked it. He always looked frail and feminine, as though he would break at the gentlest touch. Angeal had looked older and so much stronger than him. Some small part of Genesis resented that he'd never had a loving family like all the other children in Banora, not that there were many.

Then ShinRa and Hojo and Hollander had rolled into his life, bringing mako and Sephiroth and SOLDIER with them. Gillian – pretty Gillian, so kind and loving – had waved him off with a smile, happy for him and Angeal – Angeal whose strong hand was clenched tightly in Genesis' hand. He'd been so happy, to get away from his callous parents and the quiet of Banora. And he had Angeal, the boy all the girls liked. He'd stolen Angeal from them all, Angeal was _his_.

What did he care that the quiet silver haired boy watched them both, fascination in his unnatural eyes? What did he care that sometimes Sephiroth – three years his junior – woke up screaming in the night? What did he care that sometimes Sephiroth would follow him and Angeal and watch them as they did private, intimate things that felt so much better with Angeal than they'd ever done with his father?

But word had spread – of course it had – and then the other SOLDIER initiates would stare at him and mutter about him corrupting that talented Angeal and bullying that weird Sephiroth. Furious and teenaged and rebellious, Genesis had stormed around for a good week before marching up to Sephiroth in the cafeteria and demanding that he sit with him and Angeal. Sephiroth hadn't been judgemental, which Genesis had found weird. He'd been thankful and so pleased and vulnerable, that Genesis had told Angeal they could never ever be mean to Sephiroth and that they would help him.

Barely two weeks later, when one of the twenty year old cadets had shoved Sephiroth – who hadn't retaliated because he wasn't that kind of person – Genesis had marched right up to him and slapped him. The cafeteria had fallen into stunned silence and then Genesis had said that the three of them – them being himself, Angeal and Sephiroth – could beat everyone else easily. The older cadets and a few of the younger ones, sick of Genesis' posturing and bragging, had accepted the challenge.

Angeal had staunchly stood by Genesis, picking up his sword and some materia. Sephiroth had followed his lead, taking his Masamune and materia and making his way to the playing field. Genesis had swished in, late as usual, carrying a red bladed broad sword telling all and sundry that it was called Rapier and he would use it to trounce the lot of them for being such dicks to Sephiroth.

As expected from the trio, they had beaten every one of their opponents into the ground, fighting as though it were a war rather than just a duel. And from then on, Genesis had been treated differently again. Not because he just looked different, but because he was strong and charismatic and unpredictable. The three of them were placed on a pedestal and no-one dared to talk to them.

He was different again.

And then he grew the wing. A huge black wing that was heavy and ugly and he hated it, even when Angeal would stroke his feathers and say how beautiful he looked. He hated it even when Angeal would slowly thrust into him, hand buried in the small, sensitive feathering at the join between his wing and back.

He hated that his difference drove a further wedge between Sephiroth and him. Perfect Sephiroth, he thought, who loved them so and was so afraid.

Luckily, Genesis thought, Angeal also grew a wing and then it was wonderful, because his Angeal had two white wings and they were so gorgeous and perfect. But still Genesis was different. Because he had a black wing, a wing that told the world that he was tainted, dirty, while Angeal's proudly proclaimed that he was pure and perfect.

Later, when Sephiroth would stare longingly at their wings, Genesis resented the further change. Sephiroth who would never hold it against them, because they were his friends and his concept of trust was skewed and warped and all he cared about was their well-being. It was wrong, Genesis thought, that Sephiroth couldn't see his own shining perfection.

And then there came Zack. Zack the Puppy. Zack the SOLDIER. Zack the Hero. Zack who loved all of them, loved Genesis for his quirks and loved Angeal for his strength and loved Sephiroth for being Sephiroth. Zack who made everything all right again. Zack who had laughed and loved their wings because '_who wouldn't want to fly?_'

So their relationship had begun in full, with long nights of lips and limbs and sweat on Sephiroth's enormous bed. Genesis had felt different again, but it was a good difference. It was a difference that involved hours of SOLDIER stamina sex and driving Zack out of his mind with lust. Also, groping. Groping was good.

But then Hollander started to get involved. He began to change Genesis' mako levels. And Genesis found himself too worn out or too sick or too hot or too unconscious to be with his lovers. He was different. Again. And Genesis loathed it.

Light came again though, in the form of a young blond boy from Nibelheim. It had been an accidental meeting. Rufus had discovered that his father had been rather indiscreet for most of his life and had a score of bastard children, including Lazard and this particular blond boy. Genesis hadn't wanted to be at the party. He had been feeling sick and down and sort of wanted to get laid because it had been about four days since he'd been well enough.

But there he was anyway, leaning against a wall and wondering if he could fake passing out and get Angeal to take him home. Just as he was about to faint, a flash of bright blond caught his eye and then he was staring into blue eyes and wondering if he'd died. Cool hands were on his head and he heard a voice, as if from miles away, comment on his high temperature. Genesis had a moment of remorse (how would Seph take it if he collapsed in a blond boys arms?) but then he couldn't help it and both of them tumbled to the floor.

When he woke up, he was at home and those same cool hands were smoothing across his forehead. He opened his eyes to Sephiroth's concerned eyes and noticed that the blond angel was sitting beside him looking confused and adorable. He was in Zack's lap.

From there, it didn't take long for Cloud – the angel – to get entwined with them. He became a regular fixture, able to relieve Genesis' pain with just the merest touch of his wonder hands. Eventually, all of them were being treated by Cloud while sick from the mako. Still, Genesis was different, but perhaps he felt, not as different as he could be. Not while Cloud was there. Not while Cloud who could fix them, even though he looked perpetually amazed to be in their presence.

Love had come easily to Genesis, just as always. It was so easy to love Cloud and to treasure him. Love came easily to the others too, Sephiroth unable to resist Genesis' lead, not that he truly wanted to and Angeal simply falling for Cloud as he had for an equally vulnerable Genesis years before. Zack had loved Cloud from the beginning, for being too cute for words.

And finally, finally, Genesis didn't care that he was different. He didn't care that he had four lovers, one of which was jail-bait. He didn't care that he could kill a man with the flick of his wrist. He didn't care that he had one wing and could fly. He didn't care that people ran from him. He didn't even care that Hojo kept muttering about offspring around him.

No, Genesis cared about none of that. Because he had found a family who loved him for who he was and loved everything about him.

Genesis would always be different. But he could live with that.

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Hope you liked it. Genesis is fun to write.

_Rethira_


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